Stoo
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I think the original question is wrong. It should be "Can anyone give a valid reason for NOT CARRYING a pony bottle? (Other then wearing doubles.)
Is there a valid reason for a pony bottle
- Thread starter Ryan Mcshane
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AdivingBel
Diver
I dive for pleasure and enjoyment. I assume others do as well though they may "enjoy" different aspects of the experience. I also try to dive safely and assume others do as well. This requires a personal (hopefully rational but "who's to say" what that is) assessment of the risks involved in diving. Based on that "personal" assessment, if a diver decides a pony is necessary to enjoy and feel comfortable with the experience then rig it properly, know how to use it, and act like you've been there before. No drama divers are the best. Dive and let dive. Have fun. 
barth
Contributor
J-Vo
Contributor
In the past couple years I have ended most of my dives with more gas then the average diver starts with. At this point I'm just uncomfortable when I get in the water with a single 80. In those cases I start the dive feeling vulnerable. That second tank and regulator brings me a more relaxed and peaceful dive just because I know it's there.
If you maintain your gear properly, including inspecting hoses, watch your spg and don't dive in a way that you're too deep to make an ascent with the amount of remaining air you have, odds are that you will never have any of these issues. Hoses are not going to suddenly burst unless there was a weak point in them, which would be obvious when inspecting them.
Scuba gear is well made, functional and will let you know when service is due. If you have an intermediate creep, get it fixed. Cracks, or bubbles in a hose? Replace them. Each time you service a reg, change O-rings. The chances of an OOA situation caused by mechanical failure should be close to none. Nearly every OOA accident is avoidable. Throwing additional gear at the problem works for some. I prefer to avoid those issues before I get in the water.
MichaelMc
Working toward Cenotes
1: Solo. Possibly below X feet, under kelp, or in sight of students in classes.
2: We just... met, I'm not sure how you'll respond if I need air. So I'll be self reliant, but here if you need me; be a good buddy and stay close.
3: Individually handling minor issues, like free flows, adds redundancy and reduces drama, even with my awesome buddy.
4: Helping teach, rigged as solo as no assigned buddy.
(my pony is spelled sidemount, or tiny doubles. Earlier it was a pony snugged up as for sidemount.)
2: We just... met, I'm not sure how you'll respond if I need air. So I'll be self reliant, but here if you need me; be a good buddy and stay close.
3: Individually handling minor issues, like free flows, adds redundancy and reduces drama, even with my awesome buddy.
4: Helping teach, rigged as solo as no assigned buddy.
(my pony is spelled sidemount, or tiny doubles. Earlier it was a pony snugged up as for sidemount.)
... and even well made items can have defects/quality issues that can result in failure (sometimes sudden with no obvious, advance warning signs).
... but "none" is not zero!
... and "nearly" is not all!
When you can gurantee no one will ever have an issue that could have 100% been avoided in advance, you might have a point. Even then, we're human - so not perfect and things that might seem obvious can be missed by even the most diligent person on any given day!
It's great that you are somehow perfect and will never be in a situation where a pony bottle might save your life. The decision to carry one is a personal choice - but I can't see how anyone can characterize it as ever being a bad idea!
Two times when your regulators can malfunction....one when left overdue for servicing and secondly the very first Dive after servicing! A pony, is just another redundant safety device. Nothing more.
The use of a pony bottle should be a personal choice. What frustrates me is when I see some divers discouraging their use. I was a member of a now defunct board where it was common practice for a group of divers to deride others for using a pony bottle and suggesting that they were poor divers to use such equipment. I am sure this resulted in divers avoiding their use to avoid the disdain of those they saw as being more experienced.
Snarkiness aside, I never said you shouldn't carry one, but millions of dives made safely using scuba over the past eight decades without a pony bottle speaks volumes to their necessity. I guess my being a free diver before I began using scuba tends to make me enjoy the feeling of not being burdened in the water by gear that I hope to never use. Dive and let dive.
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